The present invention relates generally to vending machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-powered vending machine adapted for use in "honor system" applications.
In the prior art a wide variety of vending machines have been provided to serially vend solid, prepackaged food products. In response to the insertion of coins of predetermined value, such machines disengage one unit of the selected product from some form of storage rack and route it through suitable passageways or apparatus to a product access area. Typically after a vend the customer manually opens the access door to obtain the vended product. Such machines are of complicated and expensive design, and they typically require installation where an external source of electricity is available. Because of their characteristic cost, such machines must normally be deployed in an area likely to be visited by relatively large numbers of potential customers.
Relatively recently "honor system" food sales have been implemented. Honor system vending arrangements may be ideal where small volumes of sales are contemplated, as with small professional offices or the like. In one typical form of "honor system," individual packages of food are displayed and stored in an unenclosed box, and customers are free to reach into the food storage area and remove food products without paying for them. The "honor system" program depends upon the honesty or integrity of the customer to voluntarily pay for his selected product. Besides the latter disadvantage, prior art "honor system" systems suffer from an obvious vulnerability to outright vandalism, or the like.
I have determined that one of the primary requirements for a successful "honor system" is that access to the product storage area be prevented until insertion of some form of payment. In my system all of the products stored within the housing area are accessible after the system door is opened, but the key factor is that the product access door at least remains locked until some form of payment is made.
However, because the locations in which honor system vending machines may be located often lack any source of electricity, self-contained power supplies (if electricity is needed) are a design requirement. However, if typical prior art locking mechanisms are employed, the normal current drain will quickly wear out normal batteries. As battery failure rates increase, maintenance costs will increase, and the likelihood of vandalism incurred by the inoperative machine at the hands of frustrated customers increases radically. Therefore there is a significant and as yet unfilled demand for self-contained semi-"honor system" vending apparatus equipped with a self-contained, long lasting power supply.